[Warning: Host will face severe backlash for absorbing high-density Qi while still at Level 1, Tier 1.]
The system’s cold voice echoed in Lothe’s mind, but it was quickly drowned out by a wave of raw agony.
It felt as if thousands of biting ants had crawled beneath his skin.
His blood surged violently, convulsing in his veins as the wild, unrefined yellow Qi tore through his pathways.
Under the sudden pressure, Lothe’s spatial ability triggered involuntarily, exploding outward in erratic, unstable ripples.
Seana, who was already kneeling close to him with her hand on his shoulder, felt the sudden warp.
For a terrifying second, her body flickered. Her vision turned half-transparent, and she felt herself drift on the edge of the void, before snapping back onto the concrete.
She gasped, her head spinning. Looking at the convulsing Lothe, she gritted her teeth and summoned her own status screen, desperately searching for a way to help him.
[SYSTEM STATUS - SEANA]
• Name: Seana
• Race: Human
• Class: Unassigned (Unlocks at Level 5)
• Rank: Level 1, Tier 1
• EXP: 50/100
• HP: 55 / 85
• Qi: 10 / 10
[ATTRIBUTES]
• Strength: 8
• Agility: 15
• Constitution: 10
• Qi Control: 10
• Unallocated Attribute points: 0
[CORE SUPERPOWER]
• [Blood Manipulation - Level 1, Tier 1]
• Description: Allows the host to manipulate and shape the blood of others.
• Cost: 1 unit per minute use
Seana looked at her stats. Her HP and Qi were low, but her eyes locked onto her Qi Control: 10.
She looked at Lothe, who was spasming on the floor, his face turning dangerously red.
An idea clicked in her medical mind. Gripping Lothe’s iron rod, she brought the sharp tip down, lightly pricking his arm to draw a single, fresh drop of blood.
Within Lothe’s body, the situation was critical.
He activated his [Spatial Perception], turning his awareness inward. In his mind’s eye, his internal structure was a chaotic mess.
The untamed yellow Qi was driving his blood upward, forcing it toward his brain.
Lothe knew that if that pressure reached his head, his blood vessels would rupture, killing him instantly.
He tried to use his space ability to build an invisible barrier inside his neck, hoping to block the rising pressure.
But his Qi Control was too low. The surging blood bypassed the weak spatial wall as if it weren’t even there.
Dread gripped his heart. I promised Old B I would survive. I can’t die here.
He tried to force the wild yellow Qi down toward his Dantian, but the pain was too intense, scattering his focus.
Just as his vision began to blur, a cool, foreign force pierced through his flesh, entering his bloodstream.
The surging blood rushing toward his brain suddenly froze.
Under the influence of this new energy, the blood recoiled, flowing back down into his chest in a smooth, natural rhythm.
Lothe felt the pressure in his head vanish. Relief washed over him. He didn’t need to look to know who had saved him.
It seems her powers are tied to blood.
He didn’t waste the breathing room.
He focused entirely on the wild yellow Qi, dragging the raw power down toward his lower abdomen, where his Core was spinning rapidly to receive it.
Beside him, Seana kept her eyes closed. Her perception had bypassed Lothe’s skin, mapping his veins and internal organs in her mind. She could feel the raw, violent energy he had absorbed, forcing his blood into a chaotic frenzy.
She channeled her remaining Qi, directing her invisible blood-bending power to stabilize his circulation, buying him precious time.
Sweat poured from her face. Her Core felt completely dry, screaming in protest as she forced the very last drops of her Qi out to maintain the hold.
She just hoped Lothe would hurry.
Inside Lothe’s lower abdomen, the yellow Qi resisted. It wild-thrashed against the walls of his Core, trying to leak back into his meridians.
Lothe gritted his teeth, wrapping his own remaining Qi tightly around the core like an iron cage.
Boom.
[Warning: Host is forcing a refining process.]
Refine the damn Qi! Lothe roared in his mind.
[Refinement of Level 1, Tier 3 Twin-Tail Dusk Panther core initiated...]
The yellow energy spun faster, releasing waves of heat that threatened to melt his Core.
But Lothe pushed back with brute, stubborn willpower, compressing the energy smaller and smaller, refusing to let go.
Ping!
[Refinement successful.]
[Host has successfully refined Tier 3 Twin-Tail Dusk Panther Core.]
[SYSTEM STATUS - LOTHE]
• Name: Lothe
• Race: Human (Latent Bloodline Undetected/Dormant)
• Rank: Level 1, Tier 2 (Breakthrough!)
• EXP: 50 / 200
• HP: 120 / 120
• Qi: 20 / 20
[ATTRIBUTES]
• Strength: 25
• Agility: 23
• Constitution: 24
• Qi Control: 29
• Unallocated Attribute points: 20
[SUPERPOWER]
• Active Ability: [Spatial Perception - Level 1, Tier 2]
• Description: Senses physical dimensions, structural boundaries, and movement vectors within a 5-meter radius. Cost: 1 Qi/min.
A wave of warm, refined Qi erupted from Lothe’s Core.
It flowed smoothly through his meridians, instantly repairing the torn tissues and soothing his raw, aching muscles.
The foreign pressure in his blood receded, leaving his body.
Lothe opened his eyes.
Beside him, Seana collapsed onto the concrete floor, her breathing ragged and shallow.
She was too exhausted to speak, her face devoid of color. She looked up, her gaze shifting past Lothe to stare fixedly at the pool of dark red blood around the dead panther on the floor.
She didn’t have the strength to reach it, but her eyes said it all. She needed that blood.